Shoppers Most Dissatisfied With Lack of Sales Staff

PHILADELPHIA — Consumer respondents to the Retail Customer Dissatisfaction Study, conducted by the Verde Group and the Baker Retail Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, cited not being able to find a salesperson as the biggest detriment to their shopping experience. It was noted by 33% of respondents who reported a problem. Many of these shoppers are so annoyed by the lack of sales assistance that they won’t go back to the store at all. The study found that retailers lose six percent of shoppers due to lack of help. “Our goal was to find out what annoys American consumers most when they shop and the answer came back loud and clear: salespeople, especially those who don’t have the product knowledge they should have,” said Paula Courtney, president of the Verde Group, in a statement. “A host of issues—including the disappearance of salespeople when they’re needed, long check out lines, over — solicitous and insincere salespeople, and being ignored by sales staff — is alienating shoppers and losing big bucks for American retailers.”